Review: Court Theatre Puts a Feminist Twist on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew
I have contemplated the versions of The Taming of the Shrew that I have seen over the years. I never liked the premise that a woman should be trained to […]
Review: At Trap Door Theatre, A Devil Comes to Town Celebrates Writers and Their Passion to Be Published
It’s a Swiss town full of writers, where everyone is obsessed with getting published and winning a new literary prize. A Publisher arrives, eager to find new works to be […]
Review: Genius, Envy and Madness on Display in Amadeus at Steppenwolf Theatre
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whenever I speak or hear the name, his glorious and stirring Requiem is the first thing that springs to mind. Sir Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus is now playing […]
Review: Ensemble Español’s 50th Anniversary Performance Is ¡Fantastico! But Marred by Stage Effects
Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday at the Auditorium. It is another treasure in Chicago’s glittering and vibrant cultural scene, .yet another distinguished dance company […]
Review: As You Like It at Writers Theatre Is a Dazzling Tribute to Love and Community
As someone who’s been meaning to visit Writers Theatre but was struggling to get out of the city and up to Glencoe, I can say that my trip was more […]
Dialogs: Jill Lepore’s Book We the People Tells Us Why Our Constitution Needs an Overhaul
I like to think of Jill Lepore sitting down at her desk to plan her new book on the US Constitution. We don’t need just another history, she thinks. There […]
Review: Tin Drum Theatre’s The Unseen Dazzles and Disturbs
It seems there’s a goldrush for plays people sense might be prescient or “timely.” Which in 2025 means shows that predict devastation and authoritarian nightmares. Tin Drum Theatre Company’s The […]
Review: Echoes of Excellence Carries the Legacy of Black Artists in Opera
Some of the finest singers in opera today performed last Saturday on the newly christened Robert and Penelope Steiner Parquet at the Civic Opera House. The concert was a product […]
Review: Ego Death Theatre’s Days of Rage Is Ferocious, Funny, and Heart-Wrenchingly Human
Ego Death Theatre Collective successfully hits the mark with Days of Rage by Steven Levenson. A compelling script, following a group of young radicals who are willing to do anything […]
Review: Chicago Repertory Ballet Brings the Drama Before the Balcony with The Capulets
The Capulets is a new ballet created and directed by Wade Schaaf, artistic director of Chicago Repertory Ballet. This world premiere is a multimedia collaboration with fantastic projection design by […]
Review: Friends with Guns by A Short Leap Theatre Finds Sparks in a Tricky Conversation
Friends with Guns, written by Stephanie Allison Walker and directed by Nathan Dale Short, is a provocative play that explores both sides of one of the most controversial debates happening […]
Review: Superior Donuts by Artistic Home Is Warm-Hearted and Entertaining But Needs an Update
Tracy Letts’ 2008 play Superior Donuts is a story about friendship between two unlikely souls—with a good dose of violence added. The story is set in an Uptown donut shop […]